Dahuas from Taobao in 2023

[Rikontoko]

Hey guys, I've been reading a lot about hacked English Dahua firmwares and bricked devices. Most of the threads are old and overwhelming, so apologies if this is repetitive.

I live in Thailand and can get worry-free, customs-free delivery from Taobao. Chinese language cameras are three times cheaper than "international" ones. Specifically, I need 5x IPC-HDW2841T-ZS, which I can buy for just 400RMB per piece. I've asked a few sellers, and they say it's "Chinese only."

I'm an experienced developer, and I'm confident I can follow any technical procedure if available. So my questions are: How difficult is it to flash English firmware to Dahua cameras from Taobao (like the model I mentioned above)? If not possible, can anyone recommend (also OEM) Taobao seller who offers international fisheye indoor, dome, and varifocal outdoor cameras?

 

[Robertomcat]

In these matters, you never know what can happen, because you also never know where these cameras have been and in whose hands they have been. They may work very well and you may be able to upgrade without a problem, or you may have problems when upgrading.

As a recommendation, you could ask @EMPIRETECANDY who is a very well known seller from China here. Not too long ago I purchased a PTZ camera and another 180° which arrived last week, and there are absolutely no problems at all. You could ask him for prices and see if they convince you.

 

[Rikontoko]

In these matters, you never know what can happen, because you also never know where these cameras have been and in whose hands they have been. They may work very well and you may be able to upgrade without a problem, or you may have problems when upgrading.

Firstly @Robertomcat thanks for your reply! I don't worry for those devices to be not original or used. Sellers I found seem to be quite large ones from Taobao. But they clearly say - cameras are "chinese only" - so i'd need to reflash them myself. I just wanted to ask what's the status with it nowadays. Are there still some cameras that are impossible to flash or is it already in the past and everything is already properly "hacked"? E.g. for IPC-HDW2841T-ZS I could find this, which seem to be same (?) device for US... Flashable?

As a recommendation, you could ask @ who is a very well known seller from China here. Not too long ago I purchased a PTZ camera and another 180° which arrived last week, and there are absolutely no problems at all. You could ask him for prices and see if they convince you.

I guess the site's @ substitution didn't work here, could you please repeat the name of the guy?

 

[Robertomcat]

Yes, I realised later that I hadn't added the name, but you were already writing the message. Now I have modified it and you can access it.

 

[Mike A.]

Are there still some cameras that are impossible to flash or is it already in the past and everything is already properly "hacked"?

The opposite. They've locked things down more so, while probably not "impossible," more difficult now. They've also tended to change hardware more with shortages, different markets, etc., so finding international firmware that runs on whatever processor/chipset is in the same model cam may also be a challenge.